Minnesota Prairie Roots

A BILL IS BEING INTRODUCED in the Minnesota Senate today that should alarm everyone, whether you live in Minnesota or not. That’s the addition of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” to the definition of mental illness under current state law.

Apparently this term has been floating around for awhile, although I just learned of it on Sunday. My jaw dropped. I could not believe what I was hearing on an evening newscast. Five Republican senators from central Minnesota have authored the bill, which will be introduced today in the state Senate and then referred to the Health and Human Services Committee. It reads in part as follows:

Subd. 40a. Trump Derangement Syndrome.

“Trump Derangement Syndrome” means the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump. Symptoms may include Trump-induced general hysteria, which produces an inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology in President Donald J. Trump’s behavior. This may be expressed by: (1) verbal expressions of intense hostility toward President Donald J. Trump; and (2) overt acts of aggression and violence against anyone supporting President Donald J. Trump or anything that symbolizes President Donald J. Trump.

My reaction was immediate and emotional. Why? First, this proposed legislation is an affront to anyone who has ever dealt with/deals with a mental illness or who has a family member or friend who has ever dealt with/deals with a mental illness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness lists 12 mental health conditions, including anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, postraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and more. One in five U.S. adults experience mental illness in a given year, according to NAMI. My guess is that each of the five senators proposing this change in state law has been touched in some way by mental illness, whether they admit it or not.

Now, just as we’ve been making strides in raising awareness about mental health and reducing the stigma, along comes a bill like this which stigmatizes, degrades and demoralizes. It’s insensitive, absolutely unnecessary and is politicizing mental health conditions.

The other component of this proposed change in state law which really concerns me is the wordage “verbal expressions.” Yes, that’s further defined as “intense hostility.” But who defines “intense hostility?” And what happens if you’re found to be “hostile” by whomever simply because you disagree? Perhaps you’re just “passionate.” There’s a lot to think about here.

I support free speech. We have the right to criticize, voice our opinions, speak our minds in a democracy. Or so I thought. Note that I don’t condone acts of aggression and violence against anyone, even if I don’t care for the individual or his/her policies.

But I do care about mental health.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling